1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a self-propelled cleaning device with a housing, a fan, and a surface cleaning system for cleaning a surface to be cleaned.
The invention further relates to a method for operating a self-propelled cleaning device with a fan and a surface cleaning system, wherein a surface to be cleaned is exposed to streaming air from the fan.
2. Description of the Related Art
Self-propelled cleaning devices of the aforementioned kind are known in prior art. In particular, these are cleaning robots that can perform a dry- and/or wet cleaning job. During a cleaning operation, the cleaning device traverses the surface to be cleaned, and in the process removes dust or dirt from the surface to be cleaned, for example by means of a fan and/or any other cleaning elements that may be provided. The cleaning device here preferably navigates by means of a navigation and self-localization device within the environment, wherein distances from obstacles are measured to avoid a collision.
For example, publication DE 10 2008 014 912 A1 discloses a self-movable cleaning device with a distance meter for measuring the distance between the cleaning device and an object, for example an obstacle such as a wall or piece of furniture. The distance meter there has a triangulation system, for example, whose light source shines light onto the object to be measured and whose sensor detects light scattered or reflected by the object. The cleaning device thus receives information about the distance from the obstacle, so that a traversing strategy can be tailored thereto, and a collision with the latter is avoided in advance.
While being self-propelled, the cleaning device cleans the surface being traversed by the cleaning device. Cleaning takes place on the one hand by means of a vacuum generated by a fan, wherein dust and dirt are conveyed through a suction nozzle of the housing into a filter chamber of the cleaning device, and on the other hand usually while also interacting with a cleaning element, such as a bristle roller, which brushes over the surface to be cleaned, and in the process loosens up dust and dirt. Cleaning is here confined to the usually horizontally arranged surface on which the cleaning device moves. Subfloor surfaces are not cleaned.
Also known from 10 2009 049 637 A1 is a cleaning robot whose housing underside has secured to it a flexible cleaning wipe, whose edge area protruding over a guiding surface of the cleaning robot can be used for cleaning vertically arranged surfaces, for example baseboards. The edge area of the cleaning wipe arranged on the housing underside is tilted upward while approaching a corner, narrow section or baseboard, and there performs a cleaning action.
At best, the flexible, non-rigid design of the cleaning wipe makes it suitable to clean a lower area of a baseboard or an obstacle that faces the floor surface. Subfloor surfaces aligned essentially parallel to the floor surface can thus not be cleaned, since its low inherent rigidity causes the cleaning wipe to fold back toward the floor surface starting at a specific, slight difference in height.